The Role of Environmental Factors in Promoting and Limiting Biological Invasions in South Africa

Wilson, John R.; Foxcroft, Llewellyn C.; Geerts, Sjirk; Hoffman, Margaret; MacFadyen, Sandra; Measey, John; Mills, Anthony; Richardson, David M.; Robertson, Mark P.; Wilgen, B.W. van

doi:10.1007/978-3-030-32394-3_13

Cited by 33 publications

(25 citation statements)

References 119 publications

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“…Part III (Chaps. 12-14) details the underlying factors influencing invasionshow species arrived in South Africa, and how they were dispersed once they got here (Faulkner et al 2020); the environmental factors, including geomorphology, soils, climate, extreme events (specifically droughts and floods), fire, and land uses that influence the success of alien species (Wilson et al 2020a); and the role of symbiotic interactions in affecting biological invasions in South Africa (Le Roux et al 2020). Many early introductions were deliberate, but accidental introductions are increasing in importance.…”

Section: Scope and Arrangement Of This Bookmentioning

confidence: 99%

Biological Invasions in South Africa: An Overview

Wilgen

Measey

Richardson

et al. 2020

Biological Invasions in South Africa

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101

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South Africa has much to offer as a location for the study of biological invasions. It is an ecologically diverse country comprised of nine distinct terrestrial biomes, four recognised marine ecoregions, and two sub-Antarctic Islands. The country has a rich and chequered socio-political history, and a similarly varied history of species introductions. There has been a long tradition of large-scale conservation in the country, and efforts to manage and regulate invasions began in the nineteenth century, with some notable successes, but many setbacks. With the advent of democracy in the early 1990s, South Africa established large alien species control programmes to meet the dual demands of poverty alleviation and conservation, and has since pioneered regulatory approaches to address invasions. In terms of research, South Africa has played an important role in the development of invasion science globally. It continues to have one of the most active communities anywhere in the world, with strengths in theoretical and applied invasion science, and world-leading expertise in specific sub-disciplines (e.g. the classical biological control of invasive plants). In this introductory chapter to the book "Biological Invasions in South Africa", we highlight key events that have affected biological invasions, their management, and the research conducted over the past two centuries. In so doing, we build on earlier reviews-from a national situational review of the state of knowledge in

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Section: Scope and Arrangement Of This Bookmentioning

confidence: 99%

Biological Invasions in South Africa: An Overview

Wilgen

Measey

Richardson

et al. 2020

Biological Invasions in South Africa

Self Cite

101

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“…Its impacts also include alterations of fuel properties and abundance, which can modify the fire regime (van Wilgen and Richardson, 1985). The expansion of this IAS is intimately linked to fire, which stimulates the release and scatters of winged seeds that germinate in the post-fire environment (Wilson et al, 2020). In Portugal, Hakea sericea generally flowers in its third year of life, during winter, between December and February.…”

Section: Study Speciesmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Dynamic Modeling Framework to Evaluate the Efficacy of Control Actions for a Woody Invasive Plant, Hakea sericea

2021

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Invasive alien species (IAS) are a significant component of global changes, causing severe economic and biodiversity damage. In this regard, Hakea sericea is one of the most widespread IAS throughout the Mediterranean region, including Portugal. The difficulty surrounding its management is exacerbated by post-fire situations, signifying a challenging task for managers. To assist in this effort, we used a system dynamic approach to model the population dynamics of Hakea sericea regarding the combinations of wildfire risk and control scenarios, which differ in periodicity, type of interventions, and cohort age. The ultimate goal of this study was to assess the effectiveness and costs of control efforts at reducing the abundance of this IAS. A Natura 2000 site Alvão/Marão (code PTCON0003) in northern Portugal, severely invaded by Hakea sericea, served as the study site. The modeling results demonstrate that Hakea sericea is likely to continue spreading if left uncontrolled. Although it may not be possible to ensure eradication of Hakea sericea from the study, repeated control actions aimed at the entire IAS population could be very effective in reducing its area. From a practical standpoint, removing all plants 24 months after each fire event followed by subsequent monitoring appears to be the most cost-effective strategy for managing Hakea sericea. Considering the modeling results, the dynamic modeling framework developed is a versatile, instructive tool that can support decision-making aimed at effective management of Hakea sericea.

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“…17). Similarly, species distribution models and climate matching tools are improving the way we can assess and map a species' climatically suitable area in a new range (see Wilson et al 2020, Sect. 13.5, Chap.…”

Section: Risk Assessmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Analysing the Risks Posed by Biological Invasions to South Africa

Kumschick

Foxcroft

Wilson

2020

Biological Invasions in South Africa

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Risk analysis is an important decision-support tool for the management of biological invasions. South Africa, as a signatory to international agreements, has enacted legislation requiring risk analyses to be conducted if trade is to be restricted or regulated and if alien species are to be introduced. In this chapter, we outline the various needs for risk analyses for biological invasions in South Africa, summarise the current status, and make recommendations for a way forward. In particular, we highlight the need to move away from approaches that are purely based on expert opinion or entirely reactive, and propose a new system and process which includes the use of a structured risk analysis framework with clear guidelines to avoid expert bias. We highlight the need to assess risk, consider risk management options (including benefits), and to develop clear recommendations. The proposed process also involves the review of recommendations by an independent panel. We further note that the effectiveness of such approaches will be defined by their transparency, their accuracy, how feasible they are to implement in practice, and the trust that people have in the system.

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The Role of Environmental Factors in Promoting and Limiting Biological Invasions in South Africa

Abstract: South Africa is a megadiverse country in terms of biodiversity, with continental South Africa composed of nine terrestrial biomes. This diversity is in part due to the wide range of climatic and topographic conditions that exist in the

Cited by 33 publications

References 119 publications

Biological Invasions in South Africa: An Overview

Biological Invasions in South Africa: An Overview

A Dynamic Modeling Framework to Evaluate the Efficacy of Control Actions for a Woody Invasive Plant, Hakea sericea

Analysing the Risks Posed by Biological Invasions to South Africa

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